Child Rape Accused In Aceh Sentenced To 150 Months In Prison

BANDA ACEH - The panel of judges of the Syar'iyah Court (MS) of Subulussalam City, Aceh, sentenced the defendant to be rudapaksa (raping) a child with a sentence of 150 months in prison or 12 years and six months.

The verdict was read by the chairman of the panel of judges, Pahruddin Ritonga, accompanied by Junaedi and Muhammad Naufal, each as a member of the trial judge in Subulussalam, Wednesday, November 17.

The trial took place virtually followed by the defendant NI bin S who was accompanied by his legal advisor. The trial was also attended by Public Prosecutor (JPU), Abdi Fikri, from the Subulussalam District Attorney.

The judge's verdict was heavier than the prosecutor's demands. In the previous trial, the Public Prosecutor demanded that the defendant be lashed 100 times and supplemented with 50 lashes of uqubat ta'zir in public with a reduced length of time the defendant was in detention.

However, the panel of judges thought that the demands were considered light and not sufficient to reduce the trauma experienced by the victims of the forced assault case.

"The defendant was legally and convincingly proven to have committed rape against a child. Sentenced the defendant NI bin S with uqubat ta'zir imprisonment for 150 months, reduced as long as the defendant was detained", said the panel of judges quoted by Antara.

The panel of judges declared the defendant guilty of violating Article 50 of Aceh Qanun Number 6 of 2014 concerning the law of jinayat (Islamic jurisprudence on crime). In this article, the defendant's actions are threatened with uqubat ta'zir whipping at least 150 times and a maximum of 200 times.

Or at least 1,500 grams of pure gold, a maximum of 2,000 grams of pure gold, or imprisonment for a minimum of 150 months and a maximum of 200 months, said the panel of judges.

The panel of judges stated that they did not find exceptions or restrictions on the application of law to the defendant based on the law as a reason to justify the defendant's actions. Therefore, the defendant must be held accountable for all the actions he has done.

According to the panel of judges, the aggravating thing for the defendant had damaged the future of the victim. The defendant did not support the implementation of Islamic law in Aceh Province.

Meanwhile, the mitigating factor is that the defendant is still very young and the defendant admits and regrets his actions and promises not to do it again, said the panel of judges.